The Sunday of the Resurrection: Easter Day - Choral Eucharist April 17, 2022 10:30 a.m - St. Paul's Cathedral San ...
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
The Sunday of the Resurrection:
Easter Day
Choral Eucharist
April 17, 2022
10:30 a.m.
St. Paul’s Cathedral 2728 Sixth Avenue San Diego, CA 92103A Gentle Reminder about Mask Etiquette
For now we are asking everyone to continue wearing masks indoors. Masks remain
strongly recommended by the San Diego County Health Department, and singing
is discouraged when masking is not in place. We ask that you continue to wear your
masks while indoors as we sing together in worship. Masks are available at the
entrances to the church, the Great Hall, and the offices. The mask must cover both
your nose and your mouth. Please remain masked when you come forward for
Communion and do not consume the Host until you have returned to your seat.
Sliding the mask down under your chin compromises its effectiveness when you
reposition it: we recommend removing it completely by the ear straps for the
shortest possible time. Try to touch your mask as little as possible. Thank you for
helping to keep our community safe!
This message brought to you by your Cathedral Regathering Task Force
As a courtesy to others, please silence electronic devices.
This service is being streamed live and if you don’t wish to be seen on camera, please ask an usher for
appropriate seating. Services are regularly streamed and recorded and you can find them:
http://www.stpaulcathedral.org/connect/videos or on Facebook Live now.
If you don’t wish to be photographed, our Cathedral photographer will not take pictures of people
in the northwest corner or those receiving Communion on the north side of the aisle and will be
careful to photograph people receiving Communion (on the south side) from a discreet distance
Services are regularly streamed and recorded and you can find them:
http://www.stpaulcathedral.org/watch or on Facebook Live now.
For the link to the webpage with the announcements and bulletins, click here:
https://stpaulcathedral.org/service-bulletin/
If you’re interested in more information about the cathedral’s ministries, we would like to hear from you:
http://stpaulcathedral.org/im-new/
You may give online now by clicking here:
https://onrealm.org/StPaulsCathedral/give/now
or text stpaulcathedral to 73256 using your cell phone. Thank you!
Prelude Musique Royale
Michel Richard Delalande (1657-1726)
Rondeau
Jean-Joseph Mouret (1682-1738)
Trumpet & Organ
Church Sonatas in D Major, K. 45, K.145
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Strings & Organ
§ Please stand as you are able at the tolling of the bell.
2Hymn 207(all who wish to sing the hymn should be masked while singing)
Words: Latin, 14th cent.; tr. Lyra Davidica, 1708, alt. St. 4, Charles Wesley (1707-1788);
Music: Easter Hymn, from Lyra Davidica, 1708; adapt. The Compleat Psalmodist, 1749, alt.,
Descant: Martin Green (b. 1972)
3The Holy Eucharist: Rite Two
The Word of God
The Easter Acclamation
Bishop Alleluia. Christ is risen.
People The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia.
Bishop Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and
from you no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by
the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you,
and worthily magnify your holy Name; through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Kyrie and Gloria (choir). from Missa Brevis “St Joannis de Deo”
Franz Josef Haydn (1732-1809)
Kyrie eleison. Lord, have mercy.
Christe eleison. Christ, have mercy.
Kyrie eleison. Lord, have mercy
Gloria in excelsis Deo. Et in terra pax hominibus bonae voluntatis. Laudamus te. Benedicimus
te. Adoramus te. Glorificamus te. Gratias agimus tibi propter magnam gloriam tuam. Domine
Deus, Rex coelestis, Deus Pater omnipotens. Domine Fili unigenite, Jesu Christe. Domine Deus,
Agnus Dei, Filius Patris. Qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis. Qui tollis peccata mundi,
suscipe deprecationem nostram. Qui sedes ad dexteram Patris, miserere nobis.Quoniam tu solus
sanctus. Tu solus Dominus. Tu solus Altissimus, Jesu Christe, cum Sancto Spiritu, in gloria Dei
Patris. Amen.
Glory to God in the highest, and peace to his people on earth. Lord God, heavenly
King, almighty God and Father, we worship you, we give you thanks, we praise you
for your glory. Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, Lord God, Lamb of God,
you take away the sin of the world: have mercy on us; you are seated at the right
hand of the Father: receive our prayer. For you alone are the Holy One, you alone
are the Lord, you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in the
glory of God the Father. Amen.
4The Collect of the Day BCP 222
Bishop The Lord be with you.
People And also with you.
Bishop Let us pray.
Almighty God, who through your only-begotten Son Jesus Christ overcame
death and opened to us the gate of everlasting life: Grant that we, who
celebrate with joy the day of the Lord's resurrection, may be raised from the
death of sin by your life-giving Spirit; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who
lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
Amen.
§ Please be seated for the Lessons
The First Lesson Acts 10:34-43
Peter began to speak to Cornelius and the other Gentiles: "I truly understand
that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and
does what is right is acceptable to him. You know the message he sent to
the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ--he is Lord of all. That
message spread throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism
that John announced: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy
Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who
were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. We are witnesses to all
that he did both in Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging
him on a tree; but God raised him on the third day and allowed him to
appear, not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses,
and who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. He
commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one
ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead. All the prophets testify
about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins
through his name."
Lector The Word of the Lord.
People Thanks be to God.
5Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24 Confitemini Domino (choir)
Chant: John Goss
1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; *
his mercy endures for ever.
2 Let Israel now proclaim, *
"His mercy endures for ever."
14 The LORD is my strength and my song, *
and he has become my salvation.
15 There is a sound of exultation and victory *
in the tents of the righteous:
16 "The right hand of the LORD has triumphed! *
the right hand of the LORD is exalted!
the right hand of the LORD has triumphed!"
17 I shall not die, but live, *
and declare the works of the LORD.
18 The LORD has punished me sorely, *
but he did not hand me over to death.
19 Open for me the gates of righteousness; *
I will enter them;
I will offer thanks to the LORD.
20 "This is the gate of the LORD; *
he who is righteous may enter."
21 I will give thanks to you, for you answered me *
and have become my salvation.
22 The same stone which the builders rejected *
has become the chief cornerstone.
23 This is the LORD's doing, *
and it is marvelous in our eyes.
24 On this day the LORD has acted; *
we will rejoice and be glad in it.
6The Second Lesson 1 Corinthians 15:19-26
If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be
pitied.
But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who
have died. For since death came through a human being, the resurrection of
the dead has also come through a human being; for as all die in Adam, so all
will be made alive in Christ. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits,
then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when
he hands over the kingdom to God the Father, after he has destroyed every
ruler and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all
his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
Lector The Word of the Lord.
People Thanks be to God.
§ Please stand as you are able and remain masked for the Alleluia Verse.
Alleluia Verse (Cantor, then all repeat)
Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.
Christ our Passover is sacrificed / for us:
therefore / let us keep the feast.
Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.
The Holy Gospel Luke 24:1-12
Gospeller The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ
according to Luke.
People Glory to you, Lord Christ.
On the first day of the week, at early dawn, the women who had come with
Jesus from Galilee came to the tomb, taking the spices that they had
prepared. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they
went in, they did not find the body. While they were perplexed about this,
suddenly two men in dazzling clothes stood beside them. The women were
terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, but the men said to them,
"Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has
risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son
of Man must be handed over to sinners, and be crucified, and on the third
day rise again." Then they remembered his words, and returning from the
tomb, they told all this to the eleven and to all the rest. Now it was Mary
7Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with
them who told this to the apostles. But these words seemed to them an idle
tale, and they did not believe them. But Peter got up and ran to the tomb;
stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; then he went
home, amazed at what had happened.
Gospeller The Gospel of the Lord.
People Praise to you, Lord Christ.
§ Please be seated at the introduction of the sermon.
The Sermon The Very Reverend Penny Bridges
§ After a moment of silence, please stand as you are able for the Nicene Creed.
The Nicene Creed (said in unison)
We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven:
by the power of the Holy Spirit
he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary,
and was made man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
8He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.
He has spoken through the Prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.
The Prayers of the People BCP 383
§ Please remain masked while chanting the Prayers.
For the peace from above, for the loving kindness of God, and for the
salvation of our souls, let us pray to the Lord.
People Lord, have mercy.
For the peace of the world, for the welfare of the holy Church of God, and
for the unity of all peoples, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For our Bishop, and for all the clergy and people, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For our President, for the leaders of the nations, and for all in authority, let
us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For this city, for every city and community, for those who live in them,
and for the blessing of rain, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
9For the good earth which God has given us, especially in this critical time
of climate change, and for the wisdom and will to conserve it, let us pray
to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For those who travel on land, on water, or in the air or through outer
space, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For the aged and infirm, for the widowed and orphans, for the homeless,
and for the sick and the suffering, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For the poor and the oppressed, for the unemployed and the destitute, for
prisoners and captives, and for all who remember and care for them, let us
pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For all who have died in the hope of the resurrection, and for all the
departed, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For deliverance from all danger, violence, oppression, and degradation, let
us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For the absolution and remission of our sins and offenses, let us pray to
the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
That we may end our lives in faith and hope, without suffering and
without reproach, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
Defend us, deliver us, and in thy compassion protect us, O Lord, by thy
grace.
Lord, have mercy.
10The Bishop adds a concluding Collect
Hasten, O Father, the coming of your kingdom; and grant that we your
servants, who now live by faith, may with joy behold your Son at his coming
in glorious majesty; even Jesus Christ, our only Mediator and Advocate.
Amen.
The Peace
Bishop The peace of the Lord be always with you.
People And also with you.
§ The People offer each other a socially distanced sign of the Peace.
§ Please be seated.
Greetings and Announcements
11The Holy Communion
Laying on of hands for healing – for your own needs or for the needs of another person -
is available north of the communion rail during Communion.
At the Offertory, Anthem (choir) Easter (Rise Heart, thy Lord is Risen)
Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958)
Rise, heart; thy Lord is risen. Sing his praise
Without delays,
Who takes thee by the hand, that thou likewise
With him may'st rise:
That, as his death calcined thee to dust,
His life may make thee gold, and much more, Just.
Awake, my lute, and struggle for thy part
With all thy art.
The cross taught all wood to resound his name
Who bore the same.
His stretched sinews taught all strings, what key
Is best to celebrate this most high day.
Consort both heart and lute, and twist a song
Pleasant and long:
Or since all music is but three parts vied,
And multiplied;
O let thy blessed Spirit bear a part,
And make up our defects with his sweet art.
[No.1 from Five Mystical Songs. Text: George Herbert]
§ Please stand as you are able.
12Hymn 205 (all who wish to sing the hymn should be masked while singing)
Words: Cyril A. Alington (1872-1955), alt. St. 5, Norman Mealy (1923-1987)
Music: Gelobt sei Gott, Melchior Vulpius (1560?-1616)
13The Great Thanksgiving Eucharistic Prayer B BCP 367
Bishop
People
Bishop
People
Bishop
People
The Bishop continues
It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks
to you, Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.
But chiefly are we bound to praise you for the glorious resurrection of your
Son Jesus Christ our Lord; for he is the true Paschal Lamb, who was
sacrificed for us, and has taken away the sin of the world. By his death he
has destroyed death, and by his rising to life again he has won for us
everlasting life.
Therefore we praise you, joining our voices with Angels and Archangels and
with all the company of heaven, who for ever sing this hymn to proclaim
the glory of your Name:
Sanctus (choir) from Missa Brevis “St Joannis de Deo” Haydn
Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus, Holy, Holy, Holy,
Dominus Deus Sabaoth. Lord God of Hosts.
Pleni sunt coeli et terra gloria tua. Heaven and earth are full of thy glory,
Hosanna in excelsis. Hosanna in the highest.
.
14The Bishop continues
We give thanks to you, O God, for the goodness and love which you have
made known to us in creation; in the calling of Israel to be your people; in
your Word spoken through the prophets; and above all in the Word made
flesh, Jesus, your Son. For in these last days you sent him to be incarnate
from the Virgin Mary, to be the Savior and Redeemer of the world. In him,
you have delivered us from evil, and made us worthy to stand before you.
In him, you have brought us out of error into truth, out of sin into
righteousness, out of death into life.
On the night before he died for us, our Lord Jesus Christ took bread; and
when he had given thanks to you, he broke it, and gave it to his disciples,
and said, “Take, eat: This is my Body, which is given for you. Do this for
the remembrance of me.”
After supper he took the cup of wine; and when he had given thanks, he
gave it to them, and said, “Drink this, all of you: This is my Blood of the
new Covenant, which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of
sins. Whenever you drink it, do this for the remembrance of me.”
Therefore, according to his command, O Father,
Bishop and People
We remember his death,
We proclaim his resurrection,
We await his coming in glory;
The Celebrant continues
And we offer our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving to you, O Lord of all;
presenting to you, from your creation, this bread and this wine.
We pray you, gracious God, to send your Holy Spirit upon these gifts that
they may be the Sacrament of the Body of Christ and his Blood of the new
Covenant. Unite us to your Son in his sacrifice, that we may be acceptable
through him, being sanctified by the Holy Spirit. In the fullness of time,
put all things in subjection under your Christ, and bring us to that heavenly
country where, with the blessed Virgin Mary, blessed Paul, and all your
saints, we may enter the everlasting heritage of your sons and daughters;
through Jesus Christ our Lord, the firstborn of all creation, the head of the
Church, and the author of our salvation.
By him, and with him, and in him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit all honor
and glory is yours, Almighty Father, now and for ever. AMEN.
15And now, as our Savior Christ has taught us, we are bold to say,
The Lord’s Prayer S-119
(Please remain masked while singing)
Music: Plainsong; adapt. Charles Winfred Douglas (1867-1944)
A period of silence follows as the Bread is broken.
16The Fraction: The Breaking of the Bread S-154
(Please remain masked while singing)
Title: The Holy Eucharist, Fraction Anthem: Christ our Passover
Music: From New Plainsong; David Hurd (b. 1950)
The Invitation
This is the table, not of the church but of Jesus Christ. It is made ready for those
who love him and who want to love him more. So come, you who have much
faith and you who have little; You who have been here often and you who have
not been for a long time; You who have tried to follow and you who have failed;
Come, not because the Church invites you; It is Christ, and he invites you to meet
him here.
- The Iona Community Worship Book
Bishop The Gifts of God for the People of God.
After the Invitation has been given, please be seated until you are ushered to the communion
stations at the Crossing. Please take your purse or valuables with you.
At Communion time we will offer the Host with the option to have it partially intincted (dipped)
by the Eucharistic Minister into the wine and placed in the communicant’s hand. For the time
being we will not offer the option of drinking from the Common Cup. Please come forward, keeping
your mask on and return to your seat before removing your mask to consume the Host. You may
choose to receive only the dry Host or to receive a blessing instead of the sacrament.
As you come forward, please use one of these three gestures to indicate your preference:
❖ To receive the host with wine, extend both your hands, palm up.
❖ To receive only the host, extend one hand, palm up.
❖ To receive a blessing, cross your hands at your shoulders
If you need to receive a gluten-free wafer, please go to the station at the extreme left.
17At the Communion
Agnus Dei (choir)
from Missa Brevis “St Joannis de Deo” Haydn
Agnus Dei, Lamb of God,
qui tollis peccata mundi, you take away the sins of the world:
miserere nobis. have mercy on us.
Agnus Dei, Lamb of God,
qui tollis peccata mundi, you take away the sins of the world:
miserere nobis. have mercy on us.
Agnus Dei, Lamb of God,
qui tollis peccata mundi, you take away the sins of the world:
dona nobis pacem. grant us peace.
Anthem (choir) Alleluia! Surrexit Dominus
Jaquet of Mantua (1483-1559)
Alleluia! Surrexit Dominus vere, et apparuit Simoni, alleluia. Exultemus et laetemur, dies ista
laetitiae. Haec dies, quam fecit Dominus; exultemus et laetemur in ea. Alleluia!
Alleluia! The Lord is risen indeed, and hath shown himself to Simon. Let us rejoice
and be glad: this day is one of holy joy. This is the day which the Lord hath made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it. Alleluia!
Sonata for 2 Violins and Cello in D Major: Andante
Giuseppe Tartini (1692-1770)
Chamber Orchestra
18§ After a moment of silence following the distribution of communion, please stand as
you are able for the following prayer.
The Postcommunion Prayer
Bishop Let us pray.
All Eternal God, heavenly Father,
you have graciously accepted us as living members
of your Son our Savior Jesus Christ,
and you have fed us with spiritual food
in the Sacrament of his Body and Blood.
Send us now into the world in peace,
and grant us strength and courage
to love and serve you
with gladness and singleness of heart;
through Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Blessing
The Bishop blesses the people, saying
May Almighty God, who has redeemed us and made us his children through
the resurrection of his Son our Lord, bestow upon you the riches of his
blessing. Amen.
May God, who through the water of baptism has raised us from sin into
newness of life, make you holy and worthy to be united with Christ for ever.
Amen.
May God, who has brought us out of bondage to sin into true and lasting
freedom in the Redeemer, bring you to your eternal inheritance. Amen.
And the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy
Spirit, be upon you and remain with you for ever. Amen.
19Hymn 174 (all who wish to sing the hymn should be masked while singing)
Words: Latin, 1632; tr. Robert Campbell (1814-1868), alt.
Music: Salzburg, melody Jakob Hintze (1622-1702);
harm. Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Descant: Martin Green (b. 1972)
20The Dismissal
Deacon Let us go forth in the name of Christ. Alleluia, alleluia.
People Thanks be to God. Alleluia, alleluia.
Organ Voluntary Symphonie 1: Finale
Louis Vierne (1870-1937)
§ If you choose not to remain for the Organ Voluntary, please leave quietly out of respect
for those who would like to stay and listen or pray for a while. Thank you.
Ministers of the Liturgy
Bishop: The Right Reverend Dr. Susan Brown Snook,
Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego
Preacher & Dean: The Very Reverend Penny Bridges
Assisting: The Reverend Richard Hogue, Jr.
Deacon: The Reverend Canon Brooks Mason
Cantor: Canon Martin Green
Chaplain to the Bishop: Don Mitchell
Head Verger: Canon Lisa Churchill
Lectors: Craig Monsell, Robert Heylmun
Altar Servers: Salvador Arce Guerra, Robert Reed
Thurifer: Judy MacDonald
Verger: Stephanie Pierce
Sacristans: Tom Barb, Irene George, Julia Gorman, Steve Mater,
Joyce Vogel, Elaine Wolfe
Usher-in-Charge: Lucinda Parsons
Ushers: Rosie Bird, Ellen Hargus, Susan Jester, Micah Lomax, Bob Oslie,
Paula Peeling, Andi Price, Jack Price, Kevin VanWanseele, John Will
Organist and Choirmaster: Canon Martin Green
Assistant Organist: Gabriel Arregui
Organ Scholar: Jesse Puglia
Audio/Visual: Bill Eadie, Mike Thornburgh
A special thank you to the St. Paul’s Cathedral Choir and today’s chamber
orchestra members.
21The offices are open for normal office hours and visitors may ask at the office to
be let in to the cathedral. Some of the staff will continue to work at home for
part of the time. Your continued financial support as we move through this
crisis helps us pay our staff and other expenses of the church which do not stop.
A few notes about giving in this time:
1. You may continue to mail donations. Mail them to 2728 Sixth Ave,
San Diego, CA 92103. Staff will continue to process mail donations.
2. We encourage you to consider moving to online giving at
https://stpaulcathedral.org/give/.
There you may schedule automatic donations that do not require the
staff to handle postal mail, allowing staff to focus on other tasks and
reducing contact with paper.
Thank you!
In the unlikely event of an emergency requiring us to evacuate the cathedral please follow
the directions of the ushers and vergers, and remain as quiet and calm as possible. Please
locate an exit nearest you.
The exit doors are:
o South porch doors at Nutmeg Street and Fifth Avenue
o North porch doors to Fifth Avenue Courtyard
o South transept east and west doors to Nutmeg Street
o Northeast hallway door to Fifth Avenue breezeway
o West chapel (to the left of chapel altar) stairs leading down to landing.
22April 17, 2022 – Easter Day (C)
The Presiding Bishop’s Easter Message
An abridged version of the Presiding Bishop’s Easter Message 2022 is reprinted here.
Watch and read the entire message by scanning the QR code below or visiting https://iam.ec/easter2022.
In Matthew’s gospel, the resurrection of Jesus is
introduced this way: “After the Sabbath, as the first day of
the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other
Mary went to see the tomb. And suddenly there was a great
earthquake, for an angel of the Lord had descended from
heaven, came and rolled back the stone before the tomb
until it was open.”
A number of years ago, when I was serving as the bishop
of North Carolina, one of our clergy, the Rev. James
Melnyk, offered a workshop on the Saturday before Palm
Sunday on how to design, and color, and make Easter eggs.
I attended the workshop with a number of other people from around the Raleigh area and
did my best to make an Easter egg. But Jim was a master at doing so. You see, Jim’s family
hailed from Ukraine, and he had been making those Easter eggs from childhood, and spoke
of his grandmother and the family tradition that hailed from Ukraine, the making of those
Easter eggs. I knew the significance of the Easter egg and Easter. I knew the stories and
the truth and the teachings about the coming of new life into the world, and the connection
of life emerging from an egg, and Jesus rising from the dead, bringing new life and hope
into our world.
But it became clear to me, in the last month or so, in this time when the people of the
Ukraine are struggling for their freedom, struggling to be what God intends for all people
to be, free people, that, that egg, which is deeply embedded in the life and the consciousness
of the people of Ukraine, that those Easter eggs are not just mere symbols, but reminders
of the reality of the resurrection of Jesus. Think back. On Palm Sunday, Jesus entered
Jerusalem, as we know, riding on a donkey. That was a deliberate act on his part.
He entered Jerusalem at about same time that Pontius Pilate, the governor of Rome,
would’ve been entering the city from the other side, from the other gate. Pilate would’ve
been riding a war horse, accompanied by a cavalry and infantry. He would’ve been riding
in the streets of Jerusalem at this, the dawn of the Passover, which was a celebration of
Jewish freedom. Harking back to the days of Moses and the Exodus, Pilate knew that the
people would remember that God decreed freedom for all people, and that the Roman
empire, which held Judea as a colony, would need to put down, by brute force, any attempt
to strike a blow for their freedom.
So, Pilate entered Jerusalem on a war horse, and Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey. The
way of humility, the way of the love that we know from the God who is love, the way of
truth, the way of compassion, the way of justice, the way of God, the way of love. That way
faced the way of the world, brute force, totalitarian power, injustice, bigotry, violence,
embodied in Pontius Pilate, governor of Rome. And the rest of the week was a conflict
between the way of the empire and the way of the kingdom or the reign of God’s love…
2324
You can also read
